Servicing Bee and Vee was a right pain in the new house this year as I'm not allowed to use ramps, axle stands or jacks on this drive. So all the raising had to be done either half in and half out of the garage, the short ramps slide on the smooth painted garage floor so can only be used on the rougher section near the entrance, but that's narrower, and I had to keep moving the cars to get first one end up then the other.

A pal of a pal was getting rid of a nearly new pair of full-length ramps (as he now has a four-post lift!) and they were offered to me for £500. As they were around £1700 new that was something of a bargain. However as they were over a 200 miles round trip away in Hertford it wasn't really feasible to go down just to have a look at the size and try and work out if they would fit in my garage, so pal took loads of pictures and measurements. I pondered long and hard over those, decided they would fit, so the next question was how to get them here. Son-in-law has a van but they were just too long to fit in that, so it meant hiring one. However we were planning on moving some furniture down to my son near St Neots, so a 'two birds with one stone' trip was planned. All went well until we got down to Hertford and I saw just how big all the bits were - gulp! Too late to go back now though, so we loaded them up.

Once home I could take more detailed measurements, and realised that to assemble the two ramps and their lifting tube I either needed more width than I'd bargained for, or several beefy blokes to assemble them outside, then carry them in at an angle to get them through the door! However being American they were built for their monster vehicles, and the ramps were intended to be positioned further apart on the lifting tube than I needed for the MGBs. Even positioned as close together as they would go the centre of the ramps is still wider then the centre of the tyres. However it allowed me to chop a few inches off each end of the lifting tube, and I could assemble them in the garage. Each ramp is in two sections so the length can be adjusted as well, but even one of the sections was a struggle to move on my own, and I couldn't imagine being able to move all four of them plus assemble them. So a few days later son-in-law came round and we got them in and put them together.

The lifting tube has to be able to pivot up to allow the jack under, and down to allow the vehicle to clear them as it is driven on and off. But unless the ramps were very precisely positioned in all three orientations the tube could be very stiff to turn. But R-ing TFM I discovered the tube should have been greased where it passes through the larger tubes under the ramps! So this time single-handedly I wiggle the one ramp off the tube by dragging each end sideways a bit at a time, then I can pull the tube out of the other ramp. Grease that end, reinsert, grease the other end, then wiggle the first ramp back onto the tube again. Now the tube pivots really easily and is much less dependant on precise orientation.

The ramps are lowered both ends when not in use so I can park one of the cars on them, and that 'raises' (ho ho) a couple more issues. Because the entry end is now about 4" off the ground the manual describes how to make a pair of pre-ramps - easy enough. What's a bit more of an issue is lifting the 'blunt' end of each double-length ramp while you position the support tower underneath it - no easy task. I can get a jack under the end (sides won't work as they are too close to the ground) and raise it far enough to get blocks under, then move the jack round to the side away from where the tower fits while I raise it the rest of the way, but that is a bit of a faff. So various Wallace and Gromit devices are being discussed, one of the maddest being a rope tied to the back of the car positioned just in front of the ramps, run over a pulley on a beam, and down to a hook at the end of the ramp - drive car forward, lift ramp, slide tower under. Split the rope and do both ramps at the same time :o) But in the end I settle for a block and tackle attached to a cross-beam conveniently near that end of the ramps.

Another slight inconvenience is that my relatively compact jack (I tour with it in the boot of either car) won't raise the lifting tube far enough in one go to lower the swinging legs and lock them in position. I have to jack it part way, then put axle stands under the tube, then slide a block made out of timbers with a sheet steel top under to stand the jack on while I raise it the rest of the way. I've looked at alternative jacks but to get one capable of lifting all the way in one go, but low enough profile to fit under the tube when lowered, is way too expensive for the very occasional use it would get.

High enough to get under and work with ease, but not so high I can't reach things when lying on my back.

I can only envy Herb Adler his space and 2-post lift ... I think! While Vee was at the paintshop I was able to use a 2-post lift to fit the cross-member and exhaust, amongst other things, and it was really hard work on the neck with my head bent back all the time, and on the arms. I know I'm also reaching up with my ramps, but at least I'm lying down with my head supported and can have a proper rest every now and again, instead of having to stand there all the time.

December 2018: I thought I understood the new VHI and MOT exemption from May 2018 until I read December's EMG. That states on p6: "as soon as the car reaches 40 it will be presumed to be MOT exempt immediately from that date". However the Guidance document states "If the vehicle has a current MOT certificate but you anticipate that on expiry of that certificate you will wish exemption from future MOTs you will at the time of relicensing be required to declare that the vehicle is a VHI." which seems to contradict it. On renewing Bee's tax in December, with a current MOT, I was NOT offered the chance to make a declaration. The MOT expires in June 2019, but I won't be renewing Road Tax until December 2019. What happens in the interim when I have no MOT and have not made a declaration? Supposing one were required to present one's documents at a Police Station? The DVLA have confirmed that you will only be required to make the declaration if there is not a current MOT when you retax, and you are covered between expiry and the next road tax renewal when you will be required to make the declaration if there is no current MOT. If you don't make the declaration then the renewal will not proceed. So really the guidance document should say words to the effect of "If the vehicle does not have a current MOT certificate you will at the time of relicensing be required to declare that the vehicle is a VHI." Of course whether one has a current MOT or not, when being used the vehicle must be roadworthy at all times. Hopefully that's the end of it!

May 2018: As of 20th May 2018 there are new defect types, stricter rules for diesel car emissions, and some vehicles over 40 years old becoming exempt, see this DVSA document. The full MOT manual can be found here.

After much chatter back and fore the upshot seems to be that only the most outrageous modifications involving structural bodywork are likely to be considered a substantial change, as the 'upgrades' typically talked about can probably all come under "changes made to improve efficiency, safety or environmental performance are considered acceptable", including more powerful engines when the emissions are lower. And even then if you don't attempt to declare it VHI and MOT-free then no one will know about it anyway ... except, one presumes, your insurance company for road-going cars. If you do make the declaration then it is taken at face-value, there are no checks. Some of the various pronouncements on what the changes might have meant when first proposed can be found here.

MOT PreparationUpdated March 2012 by Michael Beswick [my comments]: April 1st sees the introduction of the recent MOT changes. Up to then these items are advisories. This is not exhaustive but covers those things likely to concern classic MG owners or perhaps owners of classic MGs:

Hazards - not obligatory prior to 1/4/80, but if fitted will be tested and must work

Steering lock is only applicable post 1/9/2001

Dust covers - apart from existing steering rack, those ones on the bottom of the kingpin. They need to prevent the ingress of water and must not prevent the egress of grease.....but could be contentious

Coil springs - slight change - they fail if they do not locate properly when the vehicle suspension is put back under load, of if their function is impaired

Engine mounts

Drivers seat must move and lock, though not in every position! [August 2018: If there is an adjustment mechanism, then it must allow the seat to be moved, and locked in a selected position. However if the seat is bolted to the floor and cannot be moved other than by unbolting it, then that is not a fail. The regulation gives reason for failure as "fore and aft adjustment mechanism not working as intended" see DVSA MOT manual section 6.2.5 Driver's seat Defect para b i.. If the intention IS that there should be no adjustment, by the seat being bolted directly to the floor, then it is working as intended. The DVSA have apparently said that this failure for a fixed seat gives grounds for appeal, if 'discussion' at the station fails.]

Reg plate - same as before - silver and black is prior to 1/1/73 (although some claim it has been amended to include any vehicle in the 'historic' taxation class, although I have not been able to find any official statement to that effect), but if shown as a "new" bit of the test it may remind testers of the requirement. (Keep a spare set of modern ones...)

Tow bar security (as now) but + electrics

Electric wiring generally

Battery security

Fuel pipes - damaged or chafed

September 2010: Michael Beswick found and has sent me this [my comments]:

"I was asked by a friend's son what he should check before sending his car
for MOT, to avoid it failing on something minor. The list is not
exhaustive, and assumes no mechanical knowledge or tools. Just newspaper to
kneel on and maybe a pair of rubber gloves! It is also SIMPLIFIED, and makes
no attempt to cover items that require equipment to test them or requires
knowledge of the testers' manual. Probably takes 15 minutes.

"MOTs are a test - the tester may not adjust anything other than Headlamp aim
during the test [if you suspect headlamp aim is off then drive to the test centre having removed the headlamp rings yourself, I suggest!]. Certain minor items - such as blown bulbs - can be replaced
at the end of the test before the car is passed. Garages may well charge for
fitting an item, especially if it is discounting the test [VERY silly to go for a test with blown bulbs ...]. (Currently £54
max but available for £39.95 etc) So it pays to avoid this if possible.
Certain failure items must be retested for no fee. Partial re-tests may or
may not incur a fee. Details are shown on a poster that MOT stations must
display and on the VT30 fail certificate.

"All the usual caveats apply. Your investment can go down as well as up. Your
home is at risk etc etc. This information is not governed by the Financial
Services Authority......

"Hazard lights, (if fitted) must work , ignition on, ignition off

"Horn must work. Fuel cap must seal [visible rubber seal, not loose and rattling about, actually sealing is not checked]. Door mirrors to be secure. You must
have a driver's door mirror and either a rear view or passenger side one [On vehicles first used before 1st August 1978 only one of interior, external offside, or external nearside mirror is required on passenger vehicles with fewer than eight seats, for those on or after 1st August 1978 there must be two one of which must be 'an exterior mirror or device that provides a view along the offside of the vehicle' according to MOT Manual Section 3.3]

"Wipers must work, with blades that clear the screen and are intact [clear an arc to give an 'adequate' view, not specified].
Washers +fluid. (push type washer is fine). Windscreen - chips bigger than
10mm in the area in front of the steering wheel will fail: as will bigger
than 40mm in the rest of the area swept by the wiper blades.

"Indicators left & right. 60-120 flashes per minute is required.

"Side lights - front and back, dip beam, main beam, rear number plate lights.
If fitted, rear fog light + tell-tale [if two are fitted the off-side lamp must work. If neither work but they are accessories added by an owner then you may get away with it!]. Brake
lights. Indicate left then right and check stop/tail lights don't flash in
time. (Reverse lights don't matter [not tested, although at one time if they were operated from a manual switch by the driver they must also have a tell-tale])

"Then put hazards on and all the above, (except indicators) to check that
other lights are not "disco-ing" in time with the hazards.

"Seat belts must recoil (often slowly!), unless static type, and lock in
place in the buckle. Belts must not be unduly frayed.

"Check the tyre tread depth - it needs to be 2mm (1.6mm is the legal min).
Check the side walls for bulges or damage. You can't do much about the
inside face without lying under the car!

"Handbrake - does the lever poke you in the eye when you pull it up? Turn the
steering wheel - if it moves more than from 12 o'clock to 1 o'clock without
turning the road wheels it will probably fail (depends on steering wheel
diameter)

"Exhaust must be "supported" - waggle the tail pipe a bit (when cold...) - it
shouldn't. Noise is subjective, as it is difficult to determine a
"standard" car!

"Number plates - lots of regulations. Stick on ones on the bonnet should pass
but don't always. 1/1/73 was the change year from metal black & silver to
modern yellow/white. Take the V5C to prove date of first registration and/or
ask first!

"Bits must not be obviously falling off!

"Play in bearings, suspension, or steering is beyond the scope of this. If
you think headlamp aim may be wrong, remove the chrome bezel before the test
to make adjustment easier. If you can see the front brake pads they must be
a minimum 1.5mm thick (the thickness of a 5 pence piece).

"Corrosion within 300mm of a suspension mounting or seat belt anchorage or
major structural item will fail

"Local classic car clubs/users can best advise on "sympathetic" MOT stations
who understand older cars. High throughput / low price ones probably do not
fall onto this category! If you are not sure about a particular thing , take
the car in and ask BEFORE the test is due!

"If the car has no MOT you may legally drive it to a pre-booked MOT test - nowhere else. Insurance for this trip is a slightly murky area. [You can get insurance without having tax or an MOT. I'm pretty sure it is an offence to drive to an MOT station without insurance, regardless of whether it is a pre-booked test or not. It's not something you should ever put to the test, I suggest, or you may be personally liable for any damage or injury caused to third-parties as well as being prosecuted. Note that someone else may be able to drive your car on their insurance, which may be Third-party cover only.]

"Should the car fail, you can drive it home or to a garage to have it fixed [The MOT station may encourage you not to drive the car away on safety grounds, i.e. have it fixed there and then or arrange for it to be towed/trailered somewhere else, but they cannot legally prevent you driving it away].

"Should you have some days "left" on your current MOT but the car fails the test, you still have an MOT, but you are driving an "un-roadworthy" vehicle. The current MOT Pass certificate shows the earliest date at which the vehicle can be presented for test - just under a month before the certificate expires [But see here]. By having the car tested near this date, there should be ample time to fix items that fail. If the car passes, the new certificate is automatically dated for 12 months from the date of the expiry of the current certificate. However if it does fail, be aware that although you still have an MOT, you are driving an "unroadworthy vehicle" which restricts legal use. The penalties are pretty similar to not having an MOT and whilst technically covered by your insurance in legal terms, you are unlikely to have a claim settled.

For those that have to suffer it, the emissions limits and dates applicable can be found here. Note that there seems to have been a change in rules where later engines are concerned.

You can also check the brakes to make sure the pedal doesn't sink under sustained pressure, and if you have a servo 'empty' it by repeated operations of the brake pedal with the engine off until it stops wheezing, then with the pedal firmly pressed start the engine. While emptying the servo the pedal should get higher and harder, then when starting the engine it should sink a little.

See also the official MOT Manual from GOV.UK. In addition I spend a few minutes each year under the car, at the annual service before the MOT, just looking around and waggling things, bending the brake hoses back looking for surface cracking etc.

November 2011:There are proposals to cease MOT testing of cars registered before 1st January 1960, as well as possibly make testing a bi-annual event for newer cars. One has to ask "Why?" One of the reasons seem to be that owners of 1960 and earlier cars are likely to be enthusiasts and so look after their cars better, but that doesn't follow at all. It's true that pre-1960 cars are 0.6% of the population, and contribute to 0.03" of road casualties and accidents, but that is down to the greater sense of self-preservation of people driving cars of this era. Many cars at the 'lower' end of the classic price scale are likely to be owned by younger and less well-off people, with other cars and families to support, who may well take short-cuts on their pride and joy if they are allowed to. They are equally liable to be owned by people who don't know as much about their cars as perhaps they ought to, as can be seen by some of the questions and comments in the various online communities. Another reason given is that many aspects of the current test are not relevant to older cars - which is true, but in that case they are not tested! It's difficult to see just what could be dropped from the MOT that isn't safety-related. I'm no lover of MOTs, it's taken me 20 years to lose the 'heart in the mouth' feeling on delivering my cars for their tests and getting the verdict. As a Michael Beswick has said, it will only take one child to be killed or seriously injured by a classic car that had a defect that should have been picked up on an MOT, and we might find ourselves under a much stricter regime or maybe even restricted to trailering them to private circuits etc. Nigel Case, owner of the Classic Car Club, is quoted as saying "It’s nonsense. Older cars need more attention. You could buy a car which seems superficially fantastic, but it will be rotten underneath and a death trap."

Even less reason for reducing the frequency on cars less than 10 years old, with the first test being at four years. One of the biggest reasons for failure of modern cars is worn tyres, and you can see this in any supermarket car park. Manufacturers have progressively reduced the ownership experience to one of being completely passive, and most people only ever do things like servicing and replacements when someone tells them they have to. The failure rate is increasing - 35% in 2008, 37% in 2010, and 12% of tyres are illegal on replacement. In the current financial climate people are cutting down on servicing where things might get picked up, and the MOT will be the only time that they can be.

Despite the above, there are new advisories from 1st Jan 2012 which will be failures from 1st April 2012. That's the list of new and amended items, but before you groan about something like the steering lock on an MGB having to be working as I did (Vee's has never worked in my ownership) you might like to have a look at the full manual. This has new and amended paragraphs and sections denoted by a vertical bar to the left, and in the case of the steering lock it is only to be tested on cars first used from 1st January 2001. There are others, like the new main-beam tell-tale check is only on cars first used from 1st April 1986. One thing that applies to all vehicles is the battery condition and security check - all those who have fitted 'battery bins' or 12v batteries and not bothered to re-engineer the clamps take note!

Nuts and bolts can be assembled with dry, oiled or greased threads. From comparisons made with generic sources of information it seems that the figures in the MG Workshop Manual, at least, are probably for oiled threads. Greasing threads can make them liable to come loose. For example I read many years ago that wheel studs should be oiled,
not greased.

Although there are a lot of figures here there are still a lot more where no torque figure is given. It is possible that those given here are 'non-standard' torque values and the rest should be tightened to the 'standard' values for the type, size and thread of the nut and bolt:

Note that the WSM quotes 17ftlb for 18G and GA i.e. early cars whereas Haynes quotes early models as 25 ft lb and late models as 17 ft lb i.e. the other way round.

ENGINE (Factory V8)

FtLb

KgM

NM

Carburettor adapter nuts

18

2.49

24

Connecting rod cap nuts

33

4.56

45

Crankshaft pulley bolt

150

20.73

203

Cylinder head bolts

68

9.4

92

Distributor drive gear to camshaft bolt

43

5.94

58

Exhaust manifold bolts

13

1.8

18

Flywheel bolts

55

7.6

75

Induction manifold bolts

28

3.87

38

Induction manifold gasket clamp bolt

13

1.8

18

Main bearing cap bolts: Nos. 1 to 4

53

7.32

72

Rear

68

9.4

92

Oil pressure relief valve plug

33

4.56

45

Oil pump cover boltsWARNING! I got mine up to about 10 and they didn't seem to want to go higher. Bearing in mind they are going into the alloy front cover I stopped. If you look at the 'Other V8' figures there are two - 9ftlb and for Suffix B 3ftlb. 3 seems a bit low for oil under pressure even with Loctite, but 9 is definitely safer than 13.

Mark nut, shaft and flange positions, refit and tighten to the same point

FRONT SUSPENSION

FtLb

KgM

NM

Anti roll bar link

All models

60

8.3

81

Bearing retaining nut stage 1

All models

40 to 70

5.5 to 9.7

54 to 95

stage 2

Tighten to next split-pin hole

Bottom wishbone pivot to cross-member nut

Factory V8

45

6.22

61

Cross member to body

4-cyl

54 to 56

7.5 to 7.7

73 to 76

Cross member to side member nut: Top

Factory V8

55

7.61

75

Bottom

Factory V8

45

6.22

61

Front shock absorber bolts

All models

43 to 45

5.9 to 6.2

58 to 61

King pin to damper - upper fulcrum

40

5.5

54

King pin to wishbone - lower fulcrum

45

6.2

61

King pin trunnion (nut on top of king pin)

60

8.3

81

Shock absorber pinch bolt

All models

28

3.9

38

Spring pan nuts and screws

All models

22

3.0

30

Stiff nut to crossmember mounting bolt

Mk2

44 to 46

6.1 to 6.4

60 to 62

Wishbone cross bolt

All models

28

3.9

38

REAR SUSPENSION

FtLb

KgM

NM

Rear shock absorber bolts

4-Cyl

55 to 60

7.6 to 8.3

75 to 81

Shock absorber to side-member nut

Factory V8

58

8.0

78.6

STEERING

FtLb

KgM

NM

Column clamp boltNote this is given in the manual as "85 lbf inches"

Factory V8

7

0.97

9

Road wheel nuts

4-cyl

60 to 65

8.3 to 9.0

81 to 88

Road wheel nuts

Factory V8

60

8.3

81

Steering arm bolts

All models

60 to 65

8.3 to 9.0

81 to 88

Steering column top fixing bolts

All models

12 to 17

1.66 to 2.35

16 to 23

Steering column universal joint bolts

All models

20 to 22

2.77 to 3.04

27 to 30

Steering lever balljoint nut

All models

34 to 35

4.7 to 4.8

46 to 47

Steering rack and pinion bearing nut

All models

40

5.5

54

Steering rack fixings

30

4.1

41

Steering tie-rod lock nut

All models

33 to 38

4.56 to 5.26

45 to 52

Steering wheel nut

36 to 38

4.98 to 5.26

49 to 52

Steering wheel nut 11/16 in. UNF

41 to 43

5.67 to 5.95

56 to 58

Steering wheel nut 9/16 in. UNF

27 to 29

3.73 to 4.01

37 to 39

Steering wheel nut

Factory V8

28

3.87

38

Swivel pin nut stage 1

All models

60

8.3

81

stage 2

Tighten to next split-pin hole

BRAKES

FtLb

KgM

NM

Brake caliper clamping boltsSpotted by Ed Woods in the main body of the manual: "Only split the caliper if it is unavoidable, then replace the fluid channel seal, bolts and lock plates. Only bolts supplied by BMC Service Ltd. may be used"

All models

35.5 to 37

4.8 to 5.1

48 to 50

Brake caliper securing bolts

All models

40 to 45

5.5 to 6.2

54 to 61

Brake disc to hub

All models

40 to 45

5.5 to 6.2

54 to 61

Brake front servo bolts

All models

8 to 13

1.1 to 1.8

11 to 18

Brake pressure failure switch (nylon)Note given as 15 lb in in the WSM

1.25

0.173

1.69

Brake pressure failure switch end plugNote given as 200 lb in in the WSM